A ring lug terminal is a type of electrical connector with a ring metal structure that is crimped at the end of a wire and can be used to electrically couple the wire to a conductive path using a screw and a nut. A spade lug terminal is similar to a ring lug terminal but uses a spade or bi-fork metal structure rather than a ring metal structure.
A terminal block is often used to electrically couple wires with lug terminals to various electrical paths. However, it can be tedious and time-consuming to connect lug terminals to a terminal block. Terminal blocks are often used in test environments to test an electronic device, where the connections need be secure during testing but are not permanent. Thus, the lug terminals are first connected to the terminal block, and the device is tested. The lug terminals are then disconnected from the terminal block. Devices under test may have hundreds of different wires that need to be connected to and then disconnected from the terminal block. Connecting and disconnecting hundreds of lug terminals with respect to a terminal block can take a relatively long period of time, and greatly extends the amount of time it takes to test a device, limiting the number of devices that can be tested in a given period of time.
Accordingly, there is a need for a terminal block that facilitates quick and intuitive connection and disconnection of lug terminals.